Valve for pneumatic musical instruments.



No; 344379. PATENTED FEB.19, 1907. E. DE KLEIST.

VALVE FOR PNEUMATIG .MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIOATION I'ILED NOV. 27. 1905.

J'i L' x//lllllllllllllllllllllllllylllllllllllllllll o five/ii?? ;7527165 ses:

EUGENE DE KLEIST, OF NORTH TONAW ANDA, NEW' YORK.

VALVE FOR PNEUIVIATIC IVIUSlCAL lNSTRUIVIENTS.

Specficaton of Letters Patent.

Pate nted Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed November 27, 1905. Serial No. 289.208.

To a, whmn ?It 77%:1 con/067%:

Be it known that I, EUGENE DE KLEIsT, a citizen oi' the United States,residing at North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Valves tor lPneumatic Musical Instruments, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates more particularly to that class of valves whichare employed in pneumatic pianos, piano-players, and other pneu naticmusical instruments and which are capable of' a limited swiveling actionto enable then to adapt themselves to any i1nperfections of their seats,due to warping or other causes, thus insuring a reliable closure ot thesame under all conditions.

It is the object of ray invention to provide a simple and reliable valveof this kind which can be cheaply produced.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectionor" an automatic piano enbodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the duplex valve.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

In the drawings but a single unit of the pneumatic action is shown, asthe general organization of such instrumente is Well understood by thoseskilled in the art, an example being found in Letters Patent of theUnited States No. 726,'701, granted to me April 28, 1903.

A indicates one of the motor-pneuinatics of the action, and B thesticker, which transmits the motion of the same to the pianohammer orother sound-producing part. (Not shown in the drawngs.) Themotorpneumatic is connected by a duet or channel c with a Valve-chamberD, preferably arranged in the top board of the wind-chest E. Thisvalve-chamber communicates at its upper end With the atmosphere byvent-porte f, while its lower end communicates by ports g With theeXhaust-chamber E ot the Windchest. These ports are formed inguideplates l g', secured to the upper and lower ends of thevalve-chamber. The vent and exhaust ports are controlled by a doublepuppet-valve arranged in the valve-chance ber. The upper member h ofthis valve is adapted to seat against the upper plate f' for closing thevent-ports, and the lower member h' is adapted to seat against the lowerplate g' for closing the eXhaust-ports, the arrangement being such thatthe eX- haust-valve is opened when the vent-valve is closed, and vicever-sa, as is usual in this class of pneuinatic actions.

The upp ervalve member h is provided with an upwardlv-extending aXialstern i, guided in a central opening of the top plate 7", while thelower valve member h has a similar stem i', passing downwardlv throughthe lower plate g' and provided at its lower end with an adjustable nutor button j, which rests upon a 'llexible diaphragm K. The upper valvemember rests looselv upon the lower member, and the contiguous faces ofthe two members are resp ectively concave and conveX. In the preferredConstruction (shown in the drawings) the upper member is provided in itsbottom with a conical socket Z and the lower member has a conical upperend Z' fitting into said socket, the conical contact faces of the twomembers being of di'fl'erent angles or pitches to allow each valvemember to swivel in all directions on the other. This constructionpermits the valve members to seat squarely against the ends ot thevalve-chamber and to adjust themselves to any imperfection or unevennessol the valve-seats, such as is sometimes caused by the warpingof theparts, due to atmospheric changes. The straight front ends of the valvesare provided with the usual facings of leather or other suitablematerial. The flexible diaphragm K covers an air pocket or chamber IC,which is connected With one of the ducts m of a tracker-board M andwhich also communicates with the eXhaustchamber E' by the usual smallduet or pinhole n. As is common in this class of pneumatic actions, thediaphragm K is permitted to descend under the weight of the valvemembers h h' when an imper'forate portion of the customary music-sheetcloses the duct m, thereby cutting ofi" communication between themotor-pneunatic and the eXhaust-chamber E' and placing it incommunication with the atmosphere, while when a perforation of themusic-sheet registers with said duet the diaphragm is elevated andreverses the valve members, thereby collapsing the motorpneumatic andOperating the corresponding sound-producing part.

I claim as my invention 1. In a pneumatic music al instrument, thecombination of a chamber having opposing ports, and a duplex valvecomprising opposing valve-heads coperating with said ports, one of saidheads having a concave back and the other a convex back bearing againstsaid IIO concave back, said heads being free to move at an angle to eachother, substantiaily as set forth.

2. In a pneumatic muscial instrument, the combinat on of a chamberhaving opposing ports, and a duplex valve comprising opposingvalve-heads coperating With said ports, one of said heads being providedin its back With a conicai socket and the other With a concal rear endfitting into said socket, the contguous faces of the two heads being` ofdifi'erent pitches. substantially as set forth.

3. In a pneuinatic musical instrument, the cembination of a Wind-chest,a vaive-chamber having exhaust and vent ports communic-ating respective]y With the Wind-chest and &14,879

the atmosphere, a duplex valve conprisng eXhaust and vent heads ormembers arranged in said chamber and controliing the corresponding portsthereof, one of said members being provided in its back With a conicalsocket and the Other With a conical rear end seated in said socke't, andmeans for guding said valve members, substantially as set forth.

itness m v hand this 18th day of November, 1905.

EUGENE DE KLEIST.

VVi tnesses:

C. F. GEYER, E. M. GRAHAM.

